Tax Transparency Talking Points
Smart Government. Shared Resources
Here’s our response to the Business Record’s question, “What one big thing could central Iowa do to be a better place to live?”
Property Taxes Fund Public Pensions
It’s September – time to pay property taxes! Most property owners will see a significant increase in taxes due this fall. Assessments were way up (8.2 percent for residential property in urban Polk County, for example), and most jurisdictions are
A Lesson on Teacher Pensions
A Lesson on Teacher Pensions
Spotting a Potential Flaw in Iowa’s Property Tax System
Next September’s property tax bills will shock many central Iowa residents and businesses. A closer look at tax statements will show that even though the property tax rate may not have changed, the tax bill may be considerably higher. The
Kudos to Local Water Leaders
A small group of central Iowa water utilities (Des Moines Water Works, West Des Moines Water Works and Urbandale Water) began meeting last spring to try to identify a path forward for regionalizing water production. They deserve a lot of
Putting Local Property Taxes in Context
On Sunday Sept. 17 The Des Moines Register kicked off what we can expect will be a continuous refrain from local governments over the prospect of losing state property tax replacement funds. In 2013 the legislature cut back the portion